ALIGNMENT

Alignment – to be aligned – stacked – in sync – proportioned - 

I think of a few things when I think of alignment– one is very physical in nature – the other is very emotional in nature and still another is very spiritual in nature.

All three have a unique way in which alignment becomes the experience.  To be in alignment with something suggests that we are in harmony with something.  That things are working the way they are supposed to.  That pieces fit together or stack in a way in which it creates harmony, ease, functionality.  

Recently I have been working on physical alignment as I have been working with a yoga teacher and friend in the principles of alignment regarding posture and positions. As we had a day of playing with what is proper alignment and what is not – there was a distinct difference with the effort a pose took when in proper alignment versus the effort when not in proper alignment.  When not in alignment it took much more exertion to hold or maintain a pose, rather than being in proper alignment and feeling the effortless nature of the pose...not to say that it didn’t require strength – but even with that there was still a place where it was strength and muscle action required but not an overwhelming effort....know what I mean? 

Anyway, this got me thinking about alignment in all manner of things as mentioned above – when we are in emotional alignment with someone or something it feels effortless, comfortable, easy, and conversely when we are not in emotional alignment it feels effort-FULL, there is angst, frustration, sadness....it feels like work.

When we are in alignment with ourselves, with Spirit/our higher power, there is a feeling of freedom, a feeling of grace. We are not in patterns of proving, justifying, or trying like hell to gain some sense of acceptance. We feel supported by Spirit/God, we feel supported in our lives, in what we are doing in the world. There is an overall feeling of – yeah, I am doing what I am meant to do, living how I am meant to live (and not in a material sense).

It is a dance – this business of alignment – especially when the external world is involved. We all know what it feels like when we are out of alignment – there is that sense of having to work at something that feels like a force is equally working against us. Sometimes we are asked to come into alignment with things that are beyond our control, things we didn’t necessarily ask for or circumstances that have shown up in our lives that ask us to either move on or make the necessary adjustments to find new alignment. Not always easy, not always fun, yet when we come to the place of being willing – we may just find ourselves in a new effortless position.  And as we get proficient in this new position – we will become stronger and stronger.  

Alignment also offers a certain kind of structure that we can relax into. Like in yoga, when you find the correct alignment – there is a solidity within it that allows for the softening and the opening up into a deeper expression of the pose. I have also found this to be true in relationships, in emotional states, in belief systems even. As we continue to be the explorers of our own internal landscapes, the cartographers of our souls, we will continue to find those places where we need to shift into new alignment, or places where we have cultivated such deep alignment that we can relax and expand, knowing we are held and supported.

So, I invite you into a playful practice of finding alignment this month. Start with your physical body, play with a pose, any pose, you do not have to be proficient at yoga in any way – just get up and stand tall. When everything is stacked as it was meant to be in your skeletal structure it is easy to have beautiful straight upright posture.  The minute we collapse into the joints to hold us up instead of using your skeleton and our stabilizing muscles, it doesn’t feel so good.  It is not sustainable without fatigue setting in.  Move into a dance position – wiggle around and stretch your body until you find just the right position where there is very little effort – then move around again and conversely see where it takes much more effort to hold the position.  This is one of the easiest ways to see the ease or the effort of alignment – and then know that you can apply this to every aspect of your life.  

Here’s to finding those places of deep alignment – and hopefully for all our sakes, may we have a little bit of fun while we do it.

Be well, be true and live the life your soul is craving,

Dannielle

Blurb for Social – taking into account Ash’s recommendation I will go shorter here

Being in alignment with something or someone not only creates a feeling of ease and effortlessness it also offers a certain kind of structure that we can relax into. Like in yoga, when you find the correct alignment – there is a solidity within it that allows for the softening and the opening up into a deeper expression of the pose. I have also found this to be true in relationships, in emotional states, in belief systems even. As we continue to be the explorers of our own internal landscapes, the cartographers of our souls, we will continue to find those places where we need to shift into new alignment, in addition to finding the places where we have cultivated such deep alignment that we can relax and expand, knowing we are held and supported. 

If you want more I can add more